It's Not Over
by Dark12light
Summary: The bigger they are, the harder they fall. Pre-series story. UY
1. Problems

_Disclaimer: I have no claim on the show Code: Lyoko, or the lyrics to the song, Bleeding Love, which is sung by the lovely Leona Lewis._

A/N: I was bored, and I decided to write stories based off of the ideas of songs. This song is "Bleeding Love" by Leona Lewis. This is the shortest chapter out of my other ones, so don't make any opinions yet.

* * *

"Shh! They might hear us!" she whispered loudly before chuckling huskily as he pressed open-mouthed kisses along her neck. She pressed her hips into him in desire before lifting his chin and kissing him so deeply that he thought he would drown in her.

He had only asked her if she wanted to watch him practice for the game next month. As far back as he could remember, they were running through the hallway. She had gotten in front of him somehow, and pulled him into the janitor's closet, thus explaining his current situation.

He released her from his hold, and he could only be thankful that such a beautiful girl was in his arms. She seemed to read his mind, pressing a kiss on the tip of his nose before taking his lips for another joy ride.

"I can't seem to have enough of you," he exclaimed when she released him. She gave him a sultry grin, and he felt like he was going to burst if she did not get closer to him. Grunting, he pressed into her body until no air was between them.

"We have to leave now," she finally stated when she heard people walking through the door. "Don't you want to show me your moves?"

He could not help but grin from his girlfriend's words. "I doubt that you would want to see me doing them. After all, you've been to every one of my games."

"As the dedicated girlfriend I am," she declared proudly, straightening out her clothes before they finally made their exit into reality. "Aren't you so lucky to have me?"

"I definitely am," he replied, wrapping an arm around her waist when they made their way into the hallway.


	2. Illusions

_Disclaimer: I do not own Code: Lyoko._

A/N: This chapter is twice as long as the first one. Enjoy!

* * *

As he ate his lunch in silence, he wondered if he truly _loved_ her. Surely, she had said it many times to him before, but he wondered if he could say it to her and truly mean it. After all, there was a difference. There was some type of urgency he felt when he was with her. Perhaps she was waiting for the words to escape his lips.

He was not going to lie to her just because she wanted to hear those words escape his mouth. It was not the right time. She just had to accept that he was not that comfortable in their relationship...

"Stop sulking," his roommate said, bouncing on his bed when he made his appearance. "Ulrich, you've looked this way for a couple of months now. It's making me sick." He grimaced before beginning to play with the football in his hands.

"I am?" he questioned. Has he really been sulking for the last couple of months?

"You know, why don't we play football or soccer outside with the rest of the team, you know, like old times?" Odd asked with enthusiasm. He hopped onto his feet. "It'll be awesome. I haven't talked to the old crew in weeks now."

As he stared his friend talk in reminiscent memory, he sighed hopelessly. Their old friends were a lost cause. The last time they had spoken to each other, they had argued. They were pretty much enemies now. Words had slipped out of his mouth. It had all been a mistake. Everything was ending up to be a mistake.

"You know we can't," he replied in a monotone. He turned to look out of the window. The sun was setting. "It's late. I need to keep up with my grades. It's amazing that I've gotten a B on that last midterm..."

"We're close friends, and dude, you have to stop doing that." He sounded as if he was kidding, which made Ulrich turn his head to scowl at his friend. Only Odd was not kidding. He was serious, and this certainly caught Ulrich's attention. "You have to stop directing everything away from what is really bothering you. You've never done that before, and you're starting to do that now..."

"No, I'm not!" he exclaimed, pulling his worn textbook from his backpack. "We've been talking about this every day and night. You have to give me a rest."

"I am not a very patient person. You sulk and mope in our dorm room. You never want to do anything. When you started going out with Sissi, you have been driving everybody away. I suppose that's why you didn't want to hang out with the gang."

This silenced any arguments Ulrich had. "Sissi is not good for you, I'm telling you this now. Fine, don't listen to me like you always do. If you plan on being this way, I think that our friendship is worthless then."

He widened his eyes at his sullen friend. "Don't be like that. Of course, we're good friends. It's just that I hate when you talk about my girlfriend like that. You don't know her at all to judge her like the way you have been lately. She's the best person I've ever let into my life, Odd, and that is what matters to me." He flipped his textbook open, scanning for a distraction. He did not need _this_ now.

"Nothing matters to you," he bit out, slamming the door behind him when he left the dorm room. Ulrich sighed, flipping open his cell phone.


	3. Insecurity

_Disclaimer: I do not own Code: Lyoko._

A/N: I'm starting from a new perspective. You'll understand when you start to read.

* * *

_You wanted to wear the boot-and-skirt outfit today_, she repeated in her mind. _You wanted to look good in the arms of the best soccer player in Kadic_.

Leaving her building with only a thin t-shirt, skirt, and boots, she found the weather outside to be frigid. Shivering and running her fingers over the goosebumps on her arms, she walked as quickly as she could to the cafeteria. Maybe then she would find him, and he could help warm her up. With confidence coursing through her veins, she walked past the people to the table she and Ulrich shared.

She sat alone at the table. Looking back to the blinding screen on her cell phone, she mentally cursed when she realized breakfast was coming to an end. What was he doing right now?

She was elated when she saw him, panting, as he made his way through the gossiping crowd to her.

"Why are you late?" she questioned him when he sat across from her. "I've been waiting for forty minutes now."

"Odd forgot to set the alarm clock this morning," he grunted, running his hand through his hair.

His voice was exciting her. "You know you sound so sexy when you talk like that."

"All... right?" he asked, suddenly confused by her change in conversation. "Anyway, why are you dressed like that? It's about four degrees Celsius outside."

She was suddenly irritated by his voice, sounding logical, rational, and completely unnecessary. "I wanted to look good for you."

"You don't have to dress like that," he said, pointing to her short skirt. "Unless you wanted every other guy in Kadic to think you looked good too."

"Jealous?" she asked, pulling down her skirt and shirt.

"I'm tired, Sissi." She could see the wariness in his eyes when he stared at her. "I don't need to deal with your insecurities right now."

"Insecurities?" she questioned, her voice rising. "Are you implying something, Ulrich?"

"You don't have to dress up all different just because I don't compliment you all of the time. You don't have to make out with me to know that I enjoy being in your company. I do." He sighed, his forehead falling on his hands. "Sissi, you are very high maintenance, you know that?"

The silence was overwhelming.

"You said you wanted to talk last night," she finally announced, pulling his outstretched hands into her own. However, he pulled his hands from hers in irritation. She glanced at him, confused.

"I said I wanted to, but you were too busy painting your nails, remember?" he grimaced at the memory. "There's nothing to really say now."

She did not feel very confident now.


	4. I'm New Here

_Disclaimer: I do not own Code: Lyoko._

A/N: Okay, back to my normal pace. It's only eight more chapters left :

* * *

_I'm tired of the way you dismiss me and my feelings. I'm tired of how you always want to touch me. I'm tired of how you want to make everything about you. I'm tired of how Odd talks about how bad you are every night. I'm tired of..._

He was interrupted from his thoughts when he bumped into another person. He was alarmed when he realized he had bumped into a girl, dressed in all black with a pale complexion, shaking her head in a dazed fit.

He extended his hand. "I'm sorry, I should have looked where I was going," he apologized.

She did not take his hand when she got up. She dusted her hands off on her pants. "All right." She gave him a smile. "Who are you?" she asked curiously. "I'm new here."

* * *

Her parents had decided to move from Japan to France for a temporary time. It was only to learn English and while doing this, they heard about the many business opportunities here. They had to be moving onto America, where she told him her other relatives were waiting for them.

She loved seafood, she told him. She once had a fish, but it died a few weeks later. She cried, and she gave it a proper burial in a shoe box with its favorite fish food.

She loved playing sports. Unfortunately for him, her favorite sport was volleyball. However, she was pretty good at playing soccer. She also practiced martial arts, and she was a red belt in her style. He soon figured out that they were both learning the same style, and they were at the same level.

She hated stereotypes. She did not like being placed into a general category and being forced to live it. She also repeated how she did not like being called a Goth.

There were so many things he learned about her, but when she answered her phone and told him she had to go home to have dinner, he walked her to the front gate, finally promising to meet her on campus when she came the next morning.

"Ulrich!"

He tried to hide his wary sigh. Turning around, he found Sissi running towards him. She seemed to get on his nerves today although he could find the logical reasoning behind her concern. He had spent all of his free time with that new girl, Yumi Ishiyama. And he was not the only one who just realized that.

"I haven't spoken to you all day," she said honestly, wrapping her arms around him for a quick embrace. When she released him, she asked, "What have you been doing all day?"

He shrugged. "I was showing the new girl around. We met on the matter of an accident, actually. I bumped into her, and I felt like I owed it to her..."

"I've heard," she interrupted. "The people around the campus have been talking nonstop about you and the new girl." She could not help cringing. When Ulrich and a girl were mentioned in the same statement, that girl was supposed to be her. It _should _have been her.

"Don't be jealous. We're just friends." He shoved his hands into his pockets, staring at the pebbles he kicked off of the path.

She let out a soft sigh. "Ulrich, you're a handsome guy. I can't just let some girl take my hunk away from me."

"Don't be jealous," he repeated before stopping in front of the dormitories. "Good night," he said shortly, kissing her on the forehead before leaving her in the darkness.


	5. People Are Clingy

_Disclaimer: I do not own Code: Lyoko._

A/N: I think I have found a new perception of an old phrase.

* * *

Her logical reasoning did make sense, he reasoned with himself. That talk with Odd last night was still reeling in his mind. Odd said that he needed something new, and that girl was just it. However, he could not be too quick to judge.

That was the only argument he had, and it was a weak one.

He felt crummy when he waited by the gates of Kadic. Students strolled past him with no care to the lonely boy by the gates. He checked his watch again. School would begin in several minutes. He looked longingly towards the street.

She appeared coming his way by sidewalk. This surprised him. Jolting, he straightened his posture, brushing his hands against his pants.

"I'm sorry I'm late. It was harder to find my way again. I have short-term memory," she apologized, smiling slightly. "I came with a bagel, because I had to leave my home early. I'm kind of nauseous. Do you want to share it?"

The offer was enticing, especially when she unwrapped the napkin. He found a plain bagel, already spread with cream cheese. "Sure," was the only word he could muster. She gave him the top half before sinking her teeth onto her share.

"I'm in a separate grade from you, but according to the directions you gave me, I can find my way to class," she said between bites.

They ate in companionable silence before she broke it. "You look tired. What's up?"

"Just relationship problems, I guess," he offered. They had known each other for just a day. He was not sure if he should be angry since she was intruding into his life, or surprised by her bold questions. He chewed in wonder.

"You guys aren't working out," she asked, but it sounded more like a statement that he dare not defy. He nodded. She was right, after all.

"She's annoying." He was astonished with himself that he was sharing this information with her. He usually reserved his thoughts for his room mate in the dead of night before they fell asleep. He was putting a lot of trust on her shoulders, and she did not seem unfazed by it.

"People are annoying," she stated as if it were obvious. She shielded her eyes from him. "Perhaps you aren't as interested in her as you have been before."

"Maybe." He had finished his bagel, and he was brushing the crumbs onto the grass. "She seems clingy." She turned around, looking around herself before shrugging and facing him again.

"People are clingy," she said, repeating her know-it-all tone. She pushed the strands out of her face after finishing her bagel-half. "Do something about it. Take some time out to talk to her for a while. Listen to what she says."

The bell had rung, and she slung her bag over her shoulder. "The bigger they are, the harder they fall," she advised him when she headed off to class, becoming one with the rapidly-moving mass.

On his way to Biology, he could not help but repeat the words in his head. The bigger they are, the harder they fall. Oh, would they fall.


	6. You Know Nothing About Me

_Disclaimer: I do not own Code: Lyoko._

A/N: This is the longest chapter out of my other shorter chapters. I hope you find it to her heart's delight.

* * *

She could make it out here on her own. That was the argument that she had to prove to her parents. She could stay in the campus for extended hours. They could reach her on a cell phone. She was trained in martial arts. She would fight if she had to.

She found the exchange of services intriguing. He would help her around the campus while she listened to him talk about his relationship and give him advice. She was not sure if he was taking it, though.

If he was not taking it, then why would he keep hounding her?

She did not mind, honestly. However, she needed her own space to make new friends. As the new kid, people were kind, showing her around, helping her get to her own class. Still, she was no dunce. She could see bad news even if it was dancing invisibly on her head.

Her name was Sissi Delmas. They had never had an encounter, and they were not in the same grade. With all regards, she was a pretty girl. Seeing her in the hallway forced her to widen her eyes in surprise, and then ask herself, isn't it winter time?

She strutted in the hallway, wearing bright clothes. She was surprised that a girl like her would show off so much skin. According to some helpful students, she was the principal's daughter. Taking into consideration her status and the way she acted, she suddenly found an instant dislike to the audacious girl.

When she walked through the hallways, she would see Sissi forcing her way through the people by pushing them out of her way like she owned the place. It was her personality that made her wish that they would never cross paths in the future.

* * *

It was during lunch time when they had first spoken to each other. She was waiting in line for her food, which normally looked inedible, when the wretched girl was saying through the top of her lungs, "Out of my way!"

She was not sure if she should shout at her, punch her, or just wait patiently for the feeling in her chest to subside.

"Girl, move!" she kept repeating, until Yumi realized that she was speaking to her. She turned around, pure confusion evident on her face.

"Oh." Sissi did not look annoyed as she did earlier, but purely interested, and as far as Yumi could observe, diabolical. "You're the new girl."

"Okay?" She took a defensive stance, crossing her arms.

"If you don't know me, I'm Sissi Delmas. Meet me by the vending machines after this period is over. I would like to speak to you." With a smirk, she left the cafeteria in a flurry.

Yumi could only raise her eyebrows in surprise before the people behind her started reminding her that they were in a lunch line.

* * *

It was not too hard to spot her.

"I don't like you," Sissi stated, hidden behind the shadow of the wall. "You are pretty, but you seem shallow to me. You would never make it here at Kadic."

"According to your standards, that may be true," she retorted, "but according to your standards, a short skirt and thin shirt are acceptable in winter weather."

"So you think you are better than me," she fired back, raising herself to the light, a fiery gleam in her eye. Yumi focused on them.

"I'm making no implications, just observations," Yumi shrugged, raising her hands in mock surrender.

"You know nothing about me," she added bitterly.

"You know nothing about me," Yumi protested. "Who are you to say I am shallow? I dress accordingly to the weather while you dress like you're in the Bahamas in the coldest of winter. Your appearance says a lot of things to me."

"I take pride in my appearance. At least I can dress in different colors. You always wear black, you weirdo."

"It shows that I don't support popular society," she added dimly. "Don't force an argument on weak accusations," she warned.

"You are the most insufferable person on campus. Do you realize that you are talking to the principal's daughter?" she screeched. She clenched her hands by her sides. "You're a Goth-wannabe, dressing in black. You have no taste in style. You have no friends, and you are not smart or pretty. Admit it, you are the worst of the bunch."

Seeing that she had cut Yumi's argument and forced her into the defensive where hurt and lost pride lived, she smiled. The bell rung. Her grin grew wider, knowing that Ulrich was in her class.

As she left with a smirk of victory on her face, Yumi said behind her, her voice barely controlled, "This has only just begun."


	7. Reservations and Hostility

_Disclaimer: I do not own Code: Lyoko._

A/N: I do not take all things seriously in my stories. No, I will guarantee that there is no physical fighting in this story, no matter how badly you beg. I may consider it for another story, though...

* * *

He was rather content with the way his days were going along. It started off with him waiting by the gate for her to arrive, then she shared her breakfast with him while they spoke about their lives, and then they went to class.

However, he noticed a strange aura about her that morning. She was more reserved than usual, which raised suspicions in his mind. She was normally open to him.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asked her, keeping his distance while chewing on his muffin.

"Why?" she asked grumpily between chews. She sighed. "I don't know anymore."

"What do you mean? Maybe I can help," he offered, anticipating the role reversal.

"You want to be involved in my girly issues? Be my guest." There was an awkward silence between them. "This girl has been terrorizing my stay here. I do not know what to do with such a ruined brat."

"Wow, that's a lot to say about someone you just met yesterday."

"If you saw her, you would understand what I mean," she replied, sending him a meaningful glance. "She's too spoiled for her own good. That's why I perceive her to be a spoiled brat."

"Well, all I can say is be-" His cell phone decided to ring at this moment. Checking the Caller-ID, he sighed before flipping his phone open.

"Sissi, you have to stop calling me all of the time," he said angrily into the phone. Hearing the name of the "spoiled brat" and realizing that she was Ulrich's girlfriend, she widened her eyes. How was she supposed to deal with this now?

He flipped the phone closed, showing he ended the call. He looked up to her with an apologetic smile. "As I was saying..."

"Is she your girlfriend, this Sissi?" She was not really curious, just making comparisons.

"Sissi Delmas, you mean? She's my girlfriend," he added. "I'm sorry I haven't mentioned her, but I don't like adding names into the equation, you know?"

Finding so many errors in his words, she could only nod and pack her bag. "How are you guys doing?" she asked shortly.

It was his turn to sigh. "We haven't been doing any better. She's overprotective, misunderstanding my moves, and it seems she has changed for the worst..."

"Good luck with that," she said in a clipped tone, leaving him two minutes to ponder at her words before the bell rang.

* * *

"Did I say something wrong?" he asked her at their usual lunch table. She plopped onto her seat opposite him, eyes shouting an affirmative.

"In a way, you did," she finally shrugged. He glanced at the lunch line. "I'm not hungry. Don't worry about it."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you her name. You're the only person that I talk to about these things, you know," he apologized, telling her the most honest statement he could give. "I really am sorry if this is bothering you."

She smiled at this new information. "It's not that, but thank you all the same."

"Then why did you storm off this morning?" he asked, frowning.

"I needed some time to think," she replied, her hand resting on the bag next to her on the seat. "I've come to a decision."

"What decision? Decision about what?" he asked, truly confused about what his friend was talking about.

"Trust me," was all she would say. She placed her hands over the table surface, and he realized for the first time how fragile she looked, based on the pearly whiteness of her skin. She was thin, but strong.

He found that fact somehow alluring.


	8. New Romance?

_Disclaimer: I do not own Code: Lyoko._

A/N: POV change!

* * *

She seemed so unsatisfied as of late. When was the last time they had spoken to each other, held hands and just talked to each other? When was the last time she had pulled him into a closet so they could make out? She could not remember.

She felt another surge of jealousy run through her when she remembered her last encounter with that Goth, Yumi Ishiyama. It seemed that Ulrich was spending all of his time with her. Didn't his girlfriend's availability and looks mean anything anymore?

She also hated the way that he seemed to follow her around. He was her lovesick puppy, not Yumi's slave. He had to stop it or he was going to ruin both of their reputations.

She squinted her eyes before glancing back at the college-run newspaper. There on the front page was a picture of her boyfriend comforting that new girl with the words, "_**NEW ROMANCE?**_"

She wanted to rip out her boyfriend's throat so badly at this moment...

* * *

He looked mortified when she made her way to him that morning. She was absolutely giddy. She brought French toast that morning. She couldn't wait to eat it. It had been months since her mom last served it...

"Look at this." He thrusted the newspaper, rolled up, into her hands. She threw her bag to the ground when she took the newspaper. She widened her eyes when she saw what was on the front page.

"New romance?" she exclaimed, reading the headline. "A few mornings ago, lights were flashing and but I couldn't find where they were coming from so..." When she began to read the article, she could not help that tight feeling in her chest. "We're doomed."

"We are," he agreed glumly, plopping his chin in both hands. "Sissi is definitely going to see this."

"I thought you guys were not going along well," she finally said. She had rolled the newspaper back up again and pushed it into her bag. "It's only a suspicion, not valid fact. Don't worry about what other people think."

"It's just that..." he tried to explain. He smelled something sweet when she opened her bag again.

"You would not believe what my mom decided to make for me this morning." Her grin was infectious. "French toast. I'm sorry I couldn't bring the syrup, since my bag has important stuff in it and all."

"That's all right." He took an appreciative whiff when she handed him some French toast wrapped in a napkin.

"As we were saying, if you despise being with her, then just quit it so no lasting damage could occur," she stated obviously before taking a bite.

"Lasting damage will occur afterwards. It's like a guarantee."

"Then why did you get with her?" Yumi asked him curiously. He shrugged. "She is a human being. Trust me, she would listen to you if you spoke to her like a normal person. You should respect her." The last sentence was for reassurance. It was not like she actually meant it.

"I should," he echoed, pausing between his bites. "I haven't been a good boyfriend lately."

"Yeah, that will definitely have her worried."

"I don't want her to be worried," he said, a crease forming on his forehead.

"You don't want her to be worried," she reassured him. Mentally, she was wanting otherwise.


	9. Final Confrontation

_Disclaimer: I do not own Code: Lyoko._

A/N: I'm rather proud of this chapter. Read it!

* * *

"I need to talk to you," she whispered after pulling him into the janitor's closet. After he realized it was just his girlfriend, Sissi, he frowned. He was growing wary of this position.

"I don't want to make out," he said indignantly, trying to push her away to reach the doorknob. "Sissi, let go of me right now."

"No!" she exclaimed, tightening her hold on his wrists. "We need to talk about us, Ulrich. I can't handle another day being on the front page for something so embarrassing..."

"Speaking of which I will not speak to you about in a dirty closet." He took this time to pull himself away from her.

It was their closet and having him insult it wounded her heart. "We need to talk soon. I don't care how, as long as it is soon. Lunch time?"

"Okay," he said shortly, detached, before she pressed a kiss along his numb cheek, and they both walked into the hallway separately.

* * *

"Oh, it's the Goth girl." Yumi rolled her eyes, crossing her arms automatically when faced against the spoiled brat. "I see you're wearing the same clothes as last time we met."

"Shouldn't you be off trying to defy the intelligence of the human brain or something?" Yumi retorted.

"Shouldn't you be off pushing your finger down your throat or something?" she replied swiftly. Yumi glared at the grinning girl. "This is not good for your reputation." Sissi pointed her finger at Yumi

"This is not good for your reputation," Yumi repeated. "Bother some other poor fellow. I'm not interested in talking to a brainless idiot."

"With newspapers talking about you with my boyfriend, of course, we're going to have to talk," she said shortly. "You should have never gotten involved with my boyfriend."

Yumi could not help smirking. "Insecure?"

It was that word that set her off. "Let me tell you that my boyfriend loves me, all right?"

"All right," she dismissed, paying for her macaroni and cheese lunch. Sissi tailed Yumi as she made her way to the table she shared with Ulrich. Ulrich was seated there, twiddling his thumbs.

Seeing his long-time girlfriend and his best girl friend arguing was making him nervous.

"You said we needed to talk?"

Yumi went to sit at another table, leaving them both alone to discuss their relationship.

* * *

"I'm tired of this relationship," he said simply when she was finally sitting across from him. "I'm tired of commitment with someone so... different from me."

"Why?" she asked, grasping his hands into her own.

He rapidly pulled his hands away, protesting, "That's just it! You always want to touch me. Why can't you just leave me alone for a few minutes?"

"Ulrich, you're irresistible. Every girl on campus wants to touch you." She swatted her eyes.

He could think of one exception. "It doesn't mean that you sexually harass me every moment you see me. You always call me on my cell phone. You're annoying. Everything we talk about has to be about you. I'm frustrated with this relationship."

"It's because I'm worried about you! You never answer my calls!" she burst angrily.

"You are selfish. I don't think I can last in a relationship with you. I'm sorry, Sissi, but it is not working out the way I wanted it to." He got up to leave.

"It's because of that Goth girl, isn't it?" she exclaimed, standing up with him. She planted the palms of her hands onto the lunch table loudly. "Tell me, is it because of her?" She pointed to the silent girl in the opposite side of the room. "Are you going to be with her because you pity her? I know you do! The entire school does!"

"Sissi, relax," he attempted, turning around to find her blazing eyes. The sight scared him, but like Yumi said, he had to say it out loud now before things got more out-of-hand. "It's not her. It's you."

She raced out of the building, tears welling in her eyes.

To everyone, it was front page gossip occurring at that moment, the day when Ulrich Stern would become smart enough to actually deny Elizabeth Delmas what she wanted. Everyone watched, whispering as Ulrich slowly made his way to the other side of the cafeteria. When he took his place next to the new girl, the cafeteria was full of bustling noise again.


	10. The Girl in the Mirror

_Disclaimer: I do not own Code: Lyoko._

A/N: I never planned for so many chapters in this series. I find it interesting that I have not watched the series for a long time, yet I find it so much easier to finish a story of this series than one of another.

* * *

"I broke it off with her." He shoved another newspaper into her hands, and she frowned, throwing her bag over her shoulder instead of onto the ground. "The newspaper must love us right now."

"I know. I heard you guys all the way from the other side of the cafeteria," she remarked, sitting besides him. "I think you did the right thing, though you should have done it earlier when the newspaper was not tailing us though. No one would be hurt, and she would not find it a shame."

"Are you mad at me?" he asked, raising his head. She could see the shadows under his eyes.

"Actually, I'm disappointed in you," she replied bluntly, forcing a sigh to escape his lips. "How could you stand to be with the most idiotic girl on campus for more than five minutes a day? Sometimes, I worry about you, because she really needs a reality check."

"I don't know, all right?" he exclaimed, staring at the ground. "Sometimes, I wonder why I did get with her. I guess it was some boyhood fantasy I had, being in a relationship with the most popular girl in school."

She shoved the newspaper into her bag. "Scratch what I said. You both need a reality check."

"I'm mad at you," he said, his voice barely muffled against his hands.

"At me?" she exclaimed incredulously. "Why are you mad at me?"

"Sissi was basically bullying you, and you let her do that. Why didn't you tell me? I could have done something about it for you."

She looked at him guiltily. "My problems are not your concern. Though our problems were related, I did not want someone else solving my problems for me. It was how I was raised, Ulrich."

The bell rung.

* * *

_You're single. That boy is off your case. You're single. Now is your time to make your move on the cute boy on the basketball team._

She did not hide her groan this time when she looked at herself in the mirror. She had just woken up, and there were dark rings around her eyes. Her skin felt waxy, despite her shower the night before. Her hair was a frizzy mess around her head.

"I look horrible." The words exchanged from yesterday finally registered in her head, and she could not help but let out a strangled cry of loneliness, anguish, and everything in between. She was in a fetal position, rocking herself back and forth as she held herself.

_He left you. He left you for a Goth-wannabe brat with no style. You will look horrible to everyone. Who are you but broken leftovers?_

She had no friends. Every person she had known on this campus was Ulrich Stern. He was the world to her, and he just left. She was not angry anymore. She just wanted to curl up in his arms, for them to embrace her again.

Standing up and gaining her composure, looking into the mirror again, she said to herself, "You look horrible."

Sulkily, she went to sift through the clothes in her closet.

* * *

A/N: She changed from saying, "I look horrible," to "You look horrible," because she is the type of person I believe who would rather critique someone else than take the time to find the mistakes within herself. So she is pretending the girl in the mirror is another poor soul instead of her, the strong, dominant one.


	11. The Bigger They Are

_Disclaimer: I do own Code: Lyoko._

A/N: According to some sites, _Yumi _translates to _beautiful_.

_Ishiyama _translates to _rock mountain_.

_Ulrich_ means _of a rich home_.

_Aelita _means _noble_.

_**shrugs**___I have too much free time.

* * *

The entire day went at a slower pace than she wanted. She did not meet up with him that morning. He was not there. However, she met up with other people in her Geometry class, then finally settled comfortably into the rhythm of her studies.

She met an interesting boy at lunch named Odd Della Robbia, a boy with blond spiked-up hair with a purple dot in it and clothes that matched his dot strangely. They had an interesting conversation about soccer, and she promised him that she would see him before soccer practice. She shrugged now as she thought about it. Maybe Ulrich would be there.

Thus her current position by the fields. She sat on the old, wooden bleachers as she watched the soccer team practice their skills. Odd ran up to her when the coach blew his whistle, indicating break time. He was holding a soccer ball in the crook of his arm, greeting her, "Hey Yumi! I knew you would make it." She was surprised that such a large smile fit on his face.

She smiled as he made his way towards her. "Well, I don't have that much homework, and I see no harm in being here." She looked around.

Ulrich appeared in the group of boys in the center of the field. Waving her arm, she finally caught his attention. He smiled in recognition, waving back.

Odd turned around, finding that Yumi was indeed waving at Ulrich. "So you know my roommate, Ulrich Stern, huh?" He put on a silly grin.

"Of course! We're friends," she replied. "You guys are roommates?"

"Yup, Yumi. Actually, since you guys are such good friends, and we're making some progress, we should show you our dorm room."

"That's not allowed though," she said, raising an eyebrow.

"Odd, get over here!" shouted the coach, interrupting Odd's sentence. He gave her a sheepish grin before running along to the field with the rest of the team.

Yumi could say she was good at playing soccer. Ulrich had remarked that he was too, but good was an obvious understatement. He was the center forward, and she knew why from just watching him play.

Watching the boys get sweaty for an hour and a half until the sun was on the horizon was enough temptation for her lifetime. When the coach allowed them to leave, Odd and Ulrich jogged their way over to her. She walked with them to the door to the showers.

"So what do you think of our team?" asked Odd, just barely able to catch his breath. "We're good, aren't we?"

"Better than good," she replied. "I have never seen soccer played like that before."

"It runs in our blood," Odd declared proudly. They neared the door to the locker rooms. "See you later, Yumi."

"Bye," she said, waving her arm to both boys as she turned around to walk towards the front gate.

* * *

Seeing his roommate and close friend talk was nice. It was not anticipated, though. Ulrich felt a tightness in his stomach when he saw them talking so closely together and so personally, and the tightness receded when she left.

"You know Yumi?" Ulrich asked Odd. They were undressing to enter the shower stalls.

"We met at lunch," he admitted. "I bumped into her in the lunch line, and we talked for a bit. She is certainly interesting, and she knows her soccer."

Ulrich wanted to ask more questions, but they were in a public area. Anyone could hear what he wanted to say. "I suppose so. She's a good friend to have."

"She's cool," replied Odd behind the stall. "She is certainly much prettier than most of the girls on campus."

Something stirred within Ulrich from hearing Odd declare his interest in his close friend. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Are you serious, Ulrich?" asked Odd in disbelief. "Yumi is attractive. I'm surprised that you have not realized it yet." After several minutes of silence, his shower head turned off, and Ulrich heard him leave his stall.

"I guess she is," blushed Ulrich. He waited a couple of minutes for the heat in his face to subside before leaving the stall in a towel.

Odd was already half-dressed. "Are you interested? I mean, you did break it off with Sissi recently."

"I'm not really sure," said Ulrich, changing into his shirt and pants. "She's a good friend, but we're not really that close. I don't want to ruin what I have with her, you know?"

"Well, let me tell you. According to what I've heard around campus, someone's going to make a move. I'm just warning you." With that, Odd and Ulrich made their way to their dorm room, that threat lingering around them.


	12. The Harder They Fall

_Disclaimer: I do not own Code: Lyoko._

A/N: has been so glitchy lately on my Firefox browser! That's why I prolonged the release of the last chapter.

Thank you, guys! Your review have been more than appreciated :D

(Yes, I never want this story to end, but hey, like the title, it's not over)

* * *

Things were getting interesting.

On her way to school, a boy she recognized as Tim from Biology helped her with her books. He was with another group of boys from class, and they talked pleasantly the entire way.

Nearing the gate, she thanked them for walking her to school, then made her way to Ulrich. He seemed distracted, perhaps angry. She was not sure how he seemed to be feeling, but he certainly was not happy.

"You took a long time," he told her, voice barely controlled as she handed him part of a toaster pastry.

"Some guys from Biology came along. I guess I was distracted. I did walk slower than usual," she added thoughtfully.

The silence between them was strained. A black-haired boy came up to Yumi.

"Brian?" she recognized. "What's up?"

"I really do need help with my geometry homework. He's checking homework today, and I don't understand any of it. Since you are at the top of the class, I was wondering..."

"Sure," she replied, standing immediately. "I'll see you later, Ulrich," and she left a seething Ulrich alone.

* * *

She found her days by herself, nights full of torment and torture. She sat at lunch by herself, holding her hands together. She felt anxious all of the time.

A boy with gelled hair and bad acne neared, smiling nicely. "Hi, I'm Hervé from your math class."

She could not help feeling disgusted, but she allowed him to sit near her otherwise. "I'm Elizabeth, but call me Sissi."

"I know that," he said, stating it as if it were the obvious. "I've noticed you've been alone lately. I thought that you would need a friend."

"But we're not friends," she protested. The buzz of the cafeteria seemed to quiet down.

"I know," he smiled.

They talked for the rest of the period.

* * *

He needed to finish his essay for his class in half an hour, and none of the computers in the library were working, or they were taken.

"Jeremie," he said, sighing when he found the familiar face looking towards him in confusion. "Could I borrow your laptop?"

"You didn't do your work for class, did you, Odd?" Jeremie implied. Odd chuckled as Jeremie typed rapidly on the laptop.

"I have the notes on the desktop, labelled _Shakespeare_. I'll help you. Here," Jeremie directed, moving for Odd to sit next to him as he handed the laptop to Odd.

"Thanks," was all Odd could say before they started working on his essay.

* * *

"You and Odd are the only guys I can trust," Yumi complained when she found Ulrich eating his lunch underneath a tree. "The other guys are jerks. I hope those players become hobos after they drop out of school." She sat alongside him.

He smiled. "The bigger they are, the harder they fall." She smiled as well, swatting him on his shoulder playfully. He chuckled. He never wanted this to end.

* * *

_A/N: Introducing Jeremie! Now I am wondering if I should write up another pre-series story. I certainly had a lot of fun writing this one. If I should write another pre-series story, I would be very thankful for some ideas (:_


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